Environment and Labor Committee Selects Kim Byungjoo, MBK Chairman, as Audit Witness

Heo Youngin, Chairman of SPC Group, Excluded as Witness
CEOs of McDonald’s, Naver, Emart, and Others to Attend
Executives from POSCO E&C, Hyundai Engineering, and Other Construction Firms Also Summoned as Witnesses

The Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee (the Environment and Labor Committee) will summon Kim Byungjoo, Chairman of MBK Partners, as a witness on October 1 in relation to the Homeplus controversy. Heo Youngin, Chairman of SPC Group, has been excluded from the list of witnesses for the committee’s audit.

On this day, the committee convened a full session at 11:40 a.m., one hour and forty minutes later than originally scheduled, to confirm the audit plan and select witnesses. For the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor scheduled for the 30th, in addition to Chairman Kim, the following individuals have been designated as general witnesses: Kim Giwon, CEO of McDonald’s Korea; Hwang Soonbae, Head of HR at Naver; Joo Woojung, CEO of Hyundai Engineering; Song Chiyoung, CEO of POSCO E&C; and Han Chaeyang, CEO of Emart.

For the audit of the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 15th, the following have been selected as witnesses: Jung Jongcheol, CEO of Coupang CFS; Lee Baewon, CEO of Nitto Optical; Kang Hyungwook, CEO of Apple Korea; and Do Seho, CEO of SPC. In relation to environmental pollution at Seokpo Shipyard, Kim Giho, CEO of Youngpoong Group, has been designated as a witness for the National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the 14th. Kim Dongwook, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company, has been selected as a witness for the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the 29th.

Yonhap News Agency

For the audit of the Economic, Social and Labor Council and the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 27th, the following have been selected as witnesses: Park Youngwoo, former Chairman of Daewoo Winia; Park Eunjin, Vice President of Daeyu A-Tech; Baek Sunghak, Chairman of Youngan Hat; Kim Hyojong, CEO of Qten Tech; and Kim Minsik, CEO of E-Land Construction.

It is reported that the committee postponed the meeting until the last minute as it deliberated over whether to select Heo Youngin, Chairman of SPC Group, and a representative from E-Land Construction as witnesses.

In addition, the committee has requested document submissions from construction companies such as GS Engineering & Construction, Gyeryong Construction, Daewoo Engineering & Construction, DL E&C, and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. With industrial accidents being a major issue, there is speculation that additional witnesses from construction companies may be selected.

Furthermore, the committee has also designated institutional witnesses from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and its affiliated agencies, the Korea Meteorological Administration, and the Economic, Social and Labor Council.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has decided to conduct another review regarding the indiscriminate selection of business leaders as witnesses. Moon Geumjoo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party’s floor leadership, stated after a policy coordination meeting, “Now that the Democratic Party has become the ruling party, there were opinions that we should refrain from indiscriminately summoning business leaders. However, after checking the lists of witnesses and references in each standing committee, there were concerns about the high number, so the Senior Deputy Floor Leader has asked the deputy leaders to review the matter once again.”